Late start after messing with gear. Checked Tekoa... too SE on to Steptoe.
http://www.paraglidingforum.com/leonardo/flight/309060
Conditions were perfect. Good SE cycles. Set up fast & launch. There were 5 hangs there.... and all flew.
Couldn't tell you the last time there were that many there or in the air.
Conditions were not that great & we had close to the hill and each other scratching. Lift was light and broken. Got a few that were enough to turn in and got 1000' over. 328 fpm was my max climb for the day.
Simon, Denise & rick were already down, after an hour it was time to come in. (Shoulders were sore, and I had my fill.)
Sunday, March 28, 2010
Canadian invasion! Day 1
The Canadians are here...... now what....lets go flying!
http://www.paraglidingforum.com/leonardo/flight/308825
Haul ass out of work and get to the hill. It was blowing all day, but we hoped it would settle for the classic
Tekoa glass off.... oh yeah it did!
20-30 mph as we set up, but during that time it backed down to a manageable 20+ ish. Jorge was off first, and then I followed shortly. 700' over launch almost that fast. then an easy 1000' over. Mike one of the visitors gave it awhile then launched. Vince launched almost at sunset.
I was 1000' when I headed to the north spine.... bad idea. No lift to be found, as I headed back the was the sink. Floored it headed to the lowest spot I could hope to get over. Track log showed my fastest airspeed was 62 mph. I was coming in low & wasn't sure if I was going to make it over. If i turned away now I thought the rotor could get ugly & a retrieve tough.
I pushed on as I was 40-60' from the tress the rotor started in. Maintained just trying to make it over..... which I barely managed to do. That's when it really went to hell. The rotor got worse, throwing me at one point 90° zooming towards the hill. Started to PIO and knew I had to slow it down. Throw the VG full off then she zoomed nose up. A few more times of the nose facing the ground at 30' I got it pulled together. Back towards launch for some peace. That was dumb.
The lift was everywhere. 1430' over is what I got with only ridge lift. Jorge circumnavigated the globe flying out to the west past the road and back, then over Tekoa and back. It was a struggle now to get low enough to top land.
Mike got in a top landing in. I came in and gave it 4 attempts. It had gotten a bit chunky and turbulent and after earlier I wasn’t going to push my luck. Jorge gave it try and said screw it. It was too ugly.
Headed to the main lz climbing the whole time. The sun was down and it was getting dark. Even over the lz there was lift. Finally worked it down to find some chunky nasty turbulants. Lovely wind gradient.
We all got through it and landed safe.
What to do tomorrow.....?
http://www.paraglidingforum.com/leonardo/flight/308825
Haul ass out of work and get to the hill. It was blowing all day, but we hoped it would settle for the classic
Tekoa glass off.... oh yeah it did!
20-30 mph as we set up, but during that time it backed down to a manageable 20+ ish. Jorge was off first, and then I followed shortly. 700' over launch almost that fast. then an easy 1000' over. Mike one of the visitors gave it awhile then launched. Vince launched almost at sunset.
I was 1000' when I headed to the north spine.... bad idea. No lift to be found, as I headed back the was the sink. Floored it headed to the lowest spot I could hope to get over. Track log showed my fastest airspeed was 62 mph. I was coming in low & wasn't sure if I was going to make it over. If i turned away now I thought the rotor could get ugly & a retrieve tough.
I pushed on as I was 40-60' from the tress the rotor started in. Maintained just trying to make it over..... which I barely managed to do. That's when it really went to hell. The rotor got worse, throwing me at one point 90° zooming towards the hill. Started to PIO and knew I had to slow it down. Throw the VG full off then she zoomed nose up. A few more times of the nose facing the ground at 30' I got it pulled together. Back towards launch for some peace. That was dumb.
Mike got in a top landing in. I came in and gave it 4 attempts. It had gotten a bit chunky and turbulent and after earlier I wasn’t going to push my luck. Jorge gave it try and said screw it. It was too ugly.
Headed to the main lz climbing the whole time. The sun was down and it was getting dark. Even over the lz there was lift. Finally worked it down to find some chunky nasty turbulants. Lovely wind gradient.
We all got through it and landed safe.
What to do tomorrow.....?
Sunday, March 21, 2010
Not bad for the last day of winter. ~ Spangle towing 3-19-2010
Played hooky & took a half day. X-C skies said it should be a good day...... it was!
Jorge towed Vince (pg) he got a climb right off tow. Then I towed next. Great tow to almost 1400' agl when I pulled all the line off the drum! Michele just showed up in time to help get the line straightened out.
I was scratching back to launch @ 6-900' agl until I got a good climb. Climbed to 7858' asl. Vince landed due to the cold. (I showed 38°!!) I flew around 45 min until Jorge towed up.
I miss understood that we were going to try for Tekoa airport. I was almost 3 miles the wrong direction when I heard Michele say she was packing it up to head to Tekoa. There was a lot of sink between thermals & once we left spangle, the climbs were weaker and the altitude was less.
Thermals were rough & rowdy in spots. Broken at times & tough to track. Got low & was considering landing, and drove it towards a small knoll hoping it would produce something.... it worked!! She got rowdy on that one for a bit & the vario spiked ove 1000 fpm on the 3 sec average. 20 sec showed around 4-500fpm. A red tail hawk joined me for the rest of the climb. So cool when that happens. That was enough to get me to the NW shoulder of Tekoa just over the power lines where I found a bit of something to get my over, then another for the last thermal of the day.
The whole time I thought I was well behind Jorge, but at some point I had slipped past him to the NW. (I had no idea where he was.) He had his radio & vario died, but still had is GPS. It was the last climb at Tekoa when Michele announced she had a visual where he was. He was low but got up & over Tekoa & floored it to the airport.
It was mostly NW all day & I missed Jorge’s landing. I thought it was Nish & light and tossed the drogue. Got rolled right, turned it around & was set to land N. I didn’t notice Jorge was motioning to land SW. Came in fast & was going long & end up on the runway (or bldgs). Let the nose up & tried to mush it in. (That didn’t work so well) WACK! Better in the soft dirt the pavement. Nothing bent or broke.
My Flight
2:33 min flight, 7858 asl, 19.3 miles straight line distance.
http://www.paraglidingforum.com/leonardo/flight/306707
Jorge's flight
http://www.paraglidingforum.com/leonardo/flight/307294#
Matrix was much better for head down with spacer removed. Much warmer harness then the Rotor. (Possibly because there are not large air gaps?) Still a bit rough on getting upright.
Not bad for the last day of winter!!
Jorge towed Vince (pg) he got a climb right off tow. Then I towed next. Great tow to almost 1400' agl when I pulled all the line off the drum! Michele just showed up in time to help get the line straightened out.
I was scratching back to launch @ 6-900' agl until I got a good climb. Climbed to 7858' asl. Vince landed due to the cold. (I showed 38°!!) I flew around 45 min until Jorge towed up.
I miss understood that we were going to try for Tekoa airport. I was almost 3 miles the wrong direction when I heard Michele say she was packing it up to head to Tekoa. There was a lot of sink between thermals & once we left spangle, the climbs were weaker and the altitude was less.
Thermals were rough & rowdy in spots. Broken at times & tough to track. Got low & was considering landing, and drove it towards a small knoll hoping it would produce something.... it worked!! She got rowdy on that one for a bit & the vario spiked ove 1000 fpm on the 3 sec average. 20 sec showed around 4-500fpm. A red tail hawk joined me for the rest of the climb. So cool when that happens. That was enough to get me to the NW shoulder of Tekoa just over the power lines where I found a bit of something to get my over, then another for the last thermal of the day.
The whole time I thought I was well behind Jorge, but at some point I had slipped past him to the NW. (I had no idea where he was.) He had his radio & vario died, but still had is GPS. It was the last climb at Tekoa when Michele announced she had a visual where he was. He was low but got up & over Tekoa & floored it to the airport.
It was mostly NW all day & I missed Jorge’s landing. I thought it was Nish & light and tossed the drogue. Got rolled right, turned it around & was set to land N. I didn’t notice Jorge was motioning to land SW. Came in fast & was going long & end up on the runway (or bldgs). Let the nose up & tried to mush it in. (That didn’t work so well) WACK! Better in the soft dirt the pavement. Nothing bent or broke.
My Flight
2:33 min flight, 7858 asl, 19.3 miles straight line distance.
http://www.paraglidingforum.com/leonardo/flight/306707
Jorge's flight
http://www.paraglidingforum.com/leonardo/flight/307294#
Matrix was much better for head down with spacer removed. Much warmer harness then the Rotor. (Possibly because there are not large air gaps?) Still a bit rough on getting upright.
Not bad for the last day of winter!!
Sunday, March 14, 2010
Spangle towing 3-14-2010
Late day start to what on paper looked to be good..... but it wasn't going to be that good. Very cold air, light switching conditions.
Finally made a decision on which road to tow from. Michele & I set up gliders while Jorge towed Vince on his paraglider. Took a long time to get the tow. Light & switchy don't work with a pg.
I towed next, pinned mid tow in a good one. Got high-stayed high. Jorge towed twice but conditions were changing. Vince landed N, Jorge landed E, I landed S, No wind. Got a little trashed when I was low coming in. Decent landing! Hands were absolutly frozen.... 38° at altitude.
Matrix is very comfy in flight, but still challenging to get upright. Its getting better. more flights should help this was # 3.
Removed the slider block to allow more head down. Well see if that helps the head down at high speed.
http://www.paraglidingforum.com/leonardo/flight/305384
Finally made a decision on which road to tow from. Michele & I set up gliders while Jorge towed Vince on his paraglider. Took a long time to get the tow. Light & switchy don't work with a pg.
I towed next, pinned mid tow in a good one. Got high-stayed high. Jorge towed twice but conditions were changing. Vince landed N, Jorge landed E, I landed S, No wind. Got a little trashed when I was low coming in. Decent landing! Hands were absolutly frozen.... 38° at altitude.
Matrix is very comfy in flight, but still challenging to get upright. Its getting better. more flights should help this was # 3.
Removed the slider block to allow more head down. Well see if that helps the head down at high speed.
http://www.paraglidingforum.com/leonardo/flight/305384
Eagle Butte 3-13-10
The wind blew every direction.... and not for that long before switching. Doc was on Red mtn & other various locations with the same results. End of day brought it in 5-25 by then we were frozen & only watched and waited for it to quit and switch, like it had all day. ( it only got better) Doc showed up, watched & waited for a few then launched.
Sunday, March 7, 2010
2010 1st tow
First tow of the season…. It was awesome!!! Didn’t look like a good day, not in a huge rush & got a late start. Saw a few cycles, set up & up in one tow! 6000' ASL. Shoulders were sore from either lack of flying or hanging to low.
http://www.paraglidingforum.com/leonardo/flight/303759
http://www.paraglidingforum.com/leonardo/flight/303759
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